Watertight Door Indicator / Activation Switch
- Thread starter Nathan Robison
- Start date
Thomas Krom
Member
Where do you believe this switch or button was located if the indicator you are suggested isn't the lever (since it was my understanding it was the button or switch for many years)? I looked at a scanned version of the negative of the picture that was taken in May 1912 and if one looks closely I can see two hinges on the bottom and top right of the box (if you stood in front of it). While it doesn't prove that it was the alarm bell lever/switch it shows that the box could be opened.
The notice which was pasted on the lever, as you know, read:
And it would be very impractical and urological to have the alarm bell elsewhere. We know that the object above the box was the course indicator box and the object on the right was the lever, and if the alarm bell likely had a separate circuit than the lever itself, where was it located in hand reach of the lever?
I hope you forgive me bringing up some additional food of thought on this matter, since I don't mean it to criticize but more to bring up something interesting on the table.
Thomas Krom
Member
I looked at the photographs of the Olympic her bridge in her early years to see if there would have been space on the right and it appears that on the right of the actuator there was a protective cover for the wiring of the electric helm indicator, you can see it in the picture of May 1912 (albeit it going out of sight) and the picture taken by Francis Browne where you can see it goes straight down on the right of the actuator (One would say it nearly scrapes the right side of the actuator) if you look close. If you like I can mark it. It appears there is nothing under the window beside it in Francis Browne his photograph (but then it is of-course blocked by the helm and the port side pilar)
Thomas Krom
Member
I hope you forgive me if I bring a bit more food of thought onto the table on this matter Robert
Thomas Krom
Member
I am interested in it since, just as you, I believe the best possible accuracy has to be achieved with the resources we have.
Presently I am unable to find any proper space for it being in hand-reach of the actuator.
This is the indication I meant (the edit is made by a pal of mine):
You see a bit what I meant with the covering of the cables of the electric helm indicator being in the way? It sadly couldn't have been directly on the right of it.
It is hard to say, I looked at the box in the scanned copy of the May 1912 picture and it shows some differences in the box compared to how you draw it, in case you need this scanned negative I would gladly supply it. The picture shows two hinges on the right and I can vaguely make out a grap on the left side of the box, which appears that this box could be opened. I am personally also not certain if what can be viewed is a reflection or not. I believe IF this box isn't the indicator panel it is likely the alarm bell operating system.
We know that it had it's own circuit at a switchboard that was once located in the officers quarters and we believe it was separate from the lever and yet we can't find a proper location for it in reach of the lever.
Thomas Krom
Member
It isn't a pointer, I asked it to be marked over it and not to be pointed towards. Compare the two pictures and you see what I mean, the part that is in red in the second picture is what I refer to.
Thomas Krom
Member
Where is plenty of room?
It couldn't have been on the right of it since the protective covering of the electric helm indicator would have been in the way. If it was just behind it we would have seen it, and yet in the pictures from Olympic's earlier career we can't see it at all. And yet we know it was there.
How about the hinges however? Can you see the two hinges on the right side of the box now too?
Bob Read
Member
Thomas:
I withdrew from our discussion yesterday because I wanted to consider what was going on. I was confused by your focus on the placement of a small bell switch/push button when the discussion was about the w.t. door actuator and the w.t. door indicator. I finally realized what you were doing. In the past you have identified what I believe is the w.t. door indicator as being the bell switch. You spent much time yesterday trying to persuade me that there was no possible location for a bell switch anywhere to the right of the w.t. door actuator. By doing so you hoped that by process of elimination I would agree that what I believe is the w.t. door indicator is what you believe is the bell switch.
I do not like your method of argumentation. Be direct. State what you believe and back it up with facts. I’m not going to engage in endless back and forth arguments about the location of a bell switch. We disagree. That’s fine. But don’t waste my time with absurd arguments about how there is no possible location for a bell switch which may only be 2-3 inches in diameter somewhere to the right of the w.t. door actuator. What ended the discussion for me was your desperate attempt to prove your point by posting a photo of a much later Olympic bridge where extra equipment had been added. I am permanently withdrawing from discussing this subject with you.
I withdrew from our discussion yesterday because I wanted to consider what was going on. I was confused by your focus on the placement of a small bell switch/push button when the discussion was about the w.t. door actuator and the w.t. door indicator. I finally realized what you were doing. In the past you have identified what I believe is the w.t. door indicator as being the bell switch. You spent much time yesterday trying to persuade me that there was no possible location for a bell switch anywhere to the right of the w.t. door actuator. By doing so you hoped that by process of elimination I would agree that what I believe is the w.t. door indicator is what you believe is the bell switch.
I do not like your method of argumentation. Be direct. State what you believe and back it up with facts. I’m not going to engage in endless back and forth arguments about the location of a bell switch. We disagree. That’s fine. But don’t waste my time with absurd arguments about how there is no possible location for a bell switch which may only be 2-3 inches in diameter somewhere to the right of the w.t. door actuator. What ended the discussion for me was your desperate attempt to prove your point by posting a photo of a much later Olympic bridge where extra equipment had been added. I am permanently withdrawing from discussing this subject with you.
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Please try to keep discussions friendly... remember, we're talking about a switch!
Bob Read
Member
I have added an addendum to my original article to answer an objection to the configuration and location of the watertight door tell-tale indicator. Here is the link to the amended article: http://www.titanic-cad-plans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Watertight-Door-Article.pdf
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